The talent pool runs dry for Hodgson as Ibra masterclass ruins record

They played a version of the old Grandstand theme tune on the final whistle at Sweden’s new Friends Arena last night.

The ground had just been christened by a grandstand finish from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. There were smiles everywhere, some of disbelief at Zlatan’s daring. Even Roy Hodgson seemed impressed. It was hard not to be.

But Hodgson might not be quite so keen on his Swedish friends now. At the end of his first ‘year’ as England manager, he was six minutes away from being able to say that in the course of his 12 games in charge in 2012, England went unbeaten over 90 minutes.

Down and out: England were beaten by a Zlatan Ibrahimovic inspired Sweden in Stockholm

Ibrahimovic rather scorched that claim. As Hodgson said: ‘That put the tin lid on the game.’

The Swede’s unique talent has been continually questioned in Britain but his spectacular quartet of goals last night surely ended the debate for all time. Ibrahimovic had shown against England and others in the European Championship that at 31 he has entered a new phase in his career, a new maturity and a new realm where there is a fresh expression of his innate ability.

Ibrahimovic made England gasp. It is something England have not done for some time. If there are gripes about the national team under Hodgson, that is one them.

But Hodgson does not have an individual such as Ibrahimovic to call upon. Wayne Rooney is about as close as he gets, and does Rooney have it in him to score a clutch of goals of this quality at this level?

Rooney was one of England’s missing last night. Hodgson had a mixed collection of youth and experience in the squad, of those who start for their clubs and those who don’t. Considering the haphazard nature of that assembly, Hodgson was entitled to his upbeat assessment that ‘there are lost of reasons to be optimistic’.

100 not out: Steven Gerrard became the sixth England centurion against Sweden

As he added: ‘For long periods we were quite dominant and in control. I thought our passing and movement was good.’

That was not managerial gloss. For the middle third of the game and more, England were better than their hosts. There was shape and rhythm, there was understanding. Then came multi-substitutions; then Ibrahimovic came again.

Yet defeat might not be a bad thing. No-one likes to lose but it can sharpen the senses. The 90-minute unbeaten claim was something of a statistical bluff anyway. England were eliminated at the European Championships by Italy on penalties after extra-time; but Hodgson’s men certainly looked a beaten team that night in Kiev.

That tournament was deemed a partial English success after the Fabio Capello, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand fall-out that preceded it, and a qualified success is also how England have been post-Euro 2012.

Ultimately England lost here over the 90 minutes, but it was not the only time yesterday that they fell behind. In World Cup qualifying there was one game last night and Montenegro completed a 3-0 win against San Marino which meant England dropped from first to second behind Montenegro in Group H. The gap is two points and the group has not yet reached the halfway stage, so there is no need for panic. But the English position cannot be called pole.

When the competitive matches resume next March, England have two away days. The first is at San Marino – three points – but it is a comment on the state of progress that it will be pleasant if such confidence accompanies the visit to Montenegro after that.

In other news: While England were losing, Montenegro went top of the World Cup qualifying group

In the qualifiers for Euro 2012 England failed to beat Montenegro on either occasion and although there were good passages here, there were also defensive glitches and a goalkeeping wobble from Joe Hart. Improvement cannot be taken for granted.

Certainty and continuity would be welcome. Hodgson has now used 44 players across those twelve internationals. He is casting around, but that is not his choice, it is his reality.

Until Zlatan did what he did in the last 15 minutes, the night would have been memorable from England’s perspective for mainly Merseyside reasons. Steven Gerrard’s 100th cap was greeted by a warm Swedish ovation. Raheem Sterling’s debut at 17 was not out of place and Everton’s Leon Osman proved his first inclusion was merited.

Sterling’s display will win headlines but beneath those there is still something troubling about the teenager being called forth this early in his career. There are alternatives – Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner and Lennon can all play in that position and all were unavailable.

But Sterling has started ten Premier League games for Liverpool and is in the England team. Steven Caulker had an educational season at Swansea City last year but has started just six Premier League games for Tottenham. Wilfried Zaha made a briefer debut last night, and looked sharp, but has never played in the Premier League.

There is a bigger picture – and a bigger problem. Three Premier League clubs started last weekend with one Englishman in their line-up. One Englishman.

For Arsenal it was Theo Walcott, for Wigan, Ben Watson and for QPR it was Anton Ferdinand. Manchester City, the English champions, had Hart in goal and one outfield Englishman, Gareth Barry. With Scott Sinclair an unused sub, 15 of the 18-man English champions’ squad were non-English.

It is only a snapshot, but it is representative. In total only 66 of the 220 Premier League starters at the weekend were English. That’s 30%. It’s not enough.

It is all part of the mixed feeling as a year ends. That was not inappropriate here because this was an unusual, extraordinary night in several ways. The game was to mark the opening of Sweden’s new national stadium and it had 50,000 inside.

But so devoid of atmosphere was it initially that you could hear the players’ shouts. It was as if Stockholm had come to witness an end, not a beginning. Thanks to Ibrahimovic, that is what they got.